Chinese word

徘徊

Pronunciation

Pinyinpái huái

Meaning

  • verbloiter

Example

小区门口有人在徘徊。xiǎo qū mén kǒu yǒu rén zài pái huái

Someone is loitering at the entrance to the residential area.

Illustration for 徘徊 (loiter)

More examples

病人深夜在病房走廊徘徊，看起来很不安。bìng rén shēn yè zài bìng fáng zǒu láng pái huái kàn qǐ lái hěn bù ān

The patient was loitering in the hospital ward corridor late at night and looked very uneasy.

Core concept

Repeated movement within a limited area, often showing that a person has no clear destination or cannot decide what to do.

Common phrases

  • 在门口徘徊zài mén kǒu pái huái

    loiter at the entrance

  • 徘徊不定pái huái bú dìng

    wander around aimlessly

  • 在脑海中徘徊zài náo hǎi zhōng pái huái

    linger in the mind

Similar words

游荡yóu dàng: Roaming around aimlessly without anything specific to do.
闲逛xián guàng: Wandering around leisurely without an urgent reason, simply to spend time.
散步sàn bù: Taking a slow walk for health or relaxation.
转悠zhuàn yōu: Milling around an area in a relaxed, unplanned way.

Definition in Chinese

在某处无明确目的地反复走动；也常用来形容人因犹豫而反复迟疑。zài mǒu chù wú míng què mù dì dì fǎn fù zǒu dòng yě cháng yòng lái xíng róng rén yīn yóu yù ér fǎn fù chí yí

Word origin

徘徊 (páihuái, "loiter") combines two characters associated with walking back and forth, linking physical repeated movement with later figurative hesitation.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, remaining around a specific place without a clear purpose can sound concerning rather than like neutral casual walking, especially in a security-related context.

Other meanings

  • wander aroundverb
  • roamverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 徘徊者pái huái zhěloiterernoun

Word lists with this word